Textile enhancing device

ABSTRACT

A textile enhancing device is disclosed capable of heating garments, towels, washcloths and similar items. The device can also steam those articles, and scents can be added to the steam to achieve a range of enhancing characteristics.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/279,632 titled “TEXTILE ENHANCING DEVICE” filed Jan. 15, 2016.

FIELD

This document relates to a steaming and heating device, and more specifically, a garment steaming and heating device.

BACKGROUND

People often steam entire bathrooms using a hot shower to obtain a desired effect on a favorite piece of clothing. Steaming devices exist, but the existing steaming device is not capable of enhancing the garments or textiles with fragrances and detergents. The ability to effectively dry with heat is also lacking in the state of the art steamer, particularly one that can be attached to dry wall.

A need exists to provide consumers with a bathroom steamer that is also capable of enhancing garments, towels, washcloths and similar items to free them of wrinkles.

SUMMARY

The textile enhancing device is capable of steaming, heating garments, towels, washcloths and similar items and also enhancing the textiles with a choice of detergents and fragrances.

The textile enhancing device is small and capable of being mounted to a wall. The device receives pods or cartridges containing water and various enhancers such as detergents and perfumes and other enhancers. In the preferred embodiment, the cartridges contain perfume and water. The perfume and water is injected into the device through a combination of a needle valve and pump that pumps the fluid into a reservoir where the fluid is heated into steam. The device has a chamber configured to suspend a textile and this chamber is sealed and pressurized from the steam. The device also has a dry heater to dry and the textile and the door to the chamber seals and unseals automatically to coincide with the dry or steam cycle.

With the device, a user is able to place a textile in the chamber. The user then places a cartridge or pod inside the device in a special opening designed to receive the cartridge. The user then selects a cycle that includes selecting the dry heat time and the steam time and level. The pump pulls the fluid in the cartridge into a reservoir in the device. Based on the preselected cycle by the user, the door to the chamber seals and steam with an enhancer is produced. The steam rises to the chamber and steams the textile suspended in the chamber. The steam shuts off at a time selected by the user. The dry heat heater may continue to dry the chamber and textile, and to give the textile a warm feel. The chamber becomes unsealed after the steam shuts off. A buzzer then notifies the user that the cycle is complete.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the garment/textile enhancing device from a sectional view.

FIG. 2 shows the garment/textile enhancing device from an isometric view.

FIG. 3 shows the enhancement dispenser or cartridge.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The following detailed description of the invention references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the current invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the current invention is defined only by the claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

In this description, references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “a preferred embodiment”, or “embodiments” mean that the feature or features being referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separate references to “one embodiment”, “an embodiment”, “a preferred embodiment”, or “embodiments” in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are also not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description.

The textile enhancing device 101 is capable of heating garments, towels, washcloths and similar items. The device 101 can also steam those articles, and scents can be added to the steam to achieve a range of enhancing characteristics.

FIG. 1 shows the garment/textile enhancing device 101 with a large garment chamber 102 having a roof 121 and base 111. The garment/textile enhancing device has a reservoir 105 that can receive a fluid. Garments or towels or any range of articles can be loaded into the garment chamber 102 and they can hang from a removable hanger 113 that attaches to an attachment point that runs across the garment chamber 102 near the roof 121. The device is capable of heating water so that steam can be applied to the articles hanging near the roof 121 of the garment chamber. Steam will enter the garment chamber 102 through one or more of openings, including a central steam vent 117. In the preferred embodiment, steam may also enter the garment chamber 102 through secondary steam vents. The secondary steam vents are fed through secondary steam ducts, and the flow in those vents is controlled by valves.

The device has one or more connections that allow enhancers to be added to the steam. In the preferred embodiment, the device has one or more openings 135 for receiving one or more disposable cartridges 401. The disposable cartridges 401 supply various enhancers to the steaming apparatus where the steam is generated. In the preferred embodiment, enhancers are pumped to the reservoir 105 from a pump 118. In other embodiments, the reservoir 105 may be fed by the cartridges 401 gravity flow. A check valve 136 is between the pump 118 and the reservoir 105 and is in fluid communication with both.

The device is powered by a battery 150 that is protected under the base 111.

The garment chamber 102 can be access by opening a door 115. The door 115 has an automatic locking mechanism that locks the door 115 tightly to seal the garment chamber. The door can also be automatically unlocked. In a preferred embodiment, an elastomer sits between the door 115 and chamber to provide an efficient seal. The sealing allows for super heated and pressurized steam to be produced. Pressurized steam is not more than half an atmospheric pressure gauge.

Garments or towels or other articles can be placed in the garment chamber 102 and enhanced in various ways. The garments or towels or other articles can be heated, steamed, or enhanced with scents or detergents that can be mixed with the water and vaporized into the garment chamber 102.

In FIG. 2, the preferred embodiment of the base (shown as 111 in FIG. 1) is exposed to show the single steam opening 117. The preferred embodiment further exhibits a secondary, dry heater 122 for drying out the chamber and providing extra heat to provide clothes with a warm, dry feel. In the preferred embodiment, the dry heater 122 is further comprised of a fan 123 for pushing dry air into the chamber 102. The dry enter enters the chamber at a dry heat vent 209. In a preferred embodiment, the door 115 will open slightly to unseal the chamber 102 as the dry heater 122 turns on and after the steam heater 109 turns off.

The heat is controlled, and various combinations of heat and steam can be preselected through the heat cycle interface 204. The user will select from a plurality of heat cycles, such as a heat cycle appropriate for a shirt and a heat cycle appropriate for a towel. In the preferred embodiment, the heat cycle that is appropriate for a shirt consists of more steam than the heat cycle for the towel. A user can select from a plurality of heat cycles, and then press a start button to initiate the heat cycle which will impact the steam time and the dry heat time by controlling the dry heater 122 and the steam heater 109.

In one embodiment, the user can control the amount of one or more enhancers that are added to the steam through the interface. The enhancers typically consist of one or more scents, but can also include detergents and other fluids that can create desired effects on the articles in the garment chamber. The user can control the amount of enhancers added by adjusting valves on the enhancer feed lines. In the preferred embodiment, valves control the amount of enhancers delivered to the steaming apparatus. The valves are controlled by interfaces 204. The interface has Bluetooth capability in the preferred embodiment to be controlled by mobile devices and to signal mobile devices.

In the preferred embodiment, a user the device is configured to allow a user to put a garment or textile into the chamber 102 by suspending the garment or chamber from the hanger 113. The user will also place a cartridge 401 into the opening 135. The user closes the door and select a cycle. The chamber will seal by the automatic locking mechanism that closes the door 115 tightly. The pump 118 will pump fluid from the cartridge 401 into the reservoir 105. Steam is produced as the steam heater 109 heats fluid in the reservoir 105 and the steam flows into the chamber 102 through the vent 117, but does not flow to the pump 118 because of the check valve 136. After steam has been produced for a predetermined time, a dry heat heater 122 turns on for a predetermined time. At a predetermined time, the steam heater turns off and the door 115 is unlocked so that the pressure in the chamber 102 drops to ambient or atmospheric or room pressure. The dry heater 122 remains on for a predetermined time. After the predetermined time, a buzzer 124 notifies that the cycle is complete. In other embodiments, other variations of steam and/or dry heat are produced. In other embodiments, other notification systems known in the art may be used, such as a blinking light or notification on a mobile device.

The garment enhancing device can be wall mounted, and is wall mounted in the preferred embodiment. The design is simple and light, since, in the preferred embodiment, the garment enhancing device is powered by a small lithium battery to run two small heaters for heating minimal volume (generally a single garment chamber) and a small amount of enhanced fluid is steamed so that it can be mounted to a dry wall through the mounting attachment 208.

A water based fluid containing enhancers such as oils and fragrances is delivered to the device via pods 401 has a nozzle 402 that will be fully inserted into the garment/textile enhancing device to dispense a fluid out of the nozzle 402. The nozzle 402 is sealed with a seal 403. In the preferred embodiment, the seal 403 is silicon. In other embodiments, the seal is a thin piece of metal or other material known in the art that can be easily punctured by the two way needle 137. In the preferred embodiment, the two way needle 137 punctures the seal 403 when the cartridge 401 is placed in the opening 135. In the preferred embodiment, the fluid pump 118 flows the fluid into the reservoir 105. 

I claim:
 1. A garment enhancing device comprising a garment chamber having a roof and a base, and an article hanging mechanism attached near the roof, a steamer element structured and configured to heat a reservoir to create steam, one or more openings structured and configured to receive a fluid, the reservoir structured and configured to contain the fluid and to direct steam to the garment chamber, and a control interface configured to control the temperature, steam level and cycle time.
 2. The garment enhancing device of claim 1, wherein the reservoir is in fluid communication with a cartridge that is structured and configured to be detachable from the one or more openings and refillable and to deliver the fluid to the reservoir.
 3. The garment enhancing device of claim 1, wherein the garment chamber is structured and configured to seal and hold pressure.
 4. The garment enhancing device of claim 1, wherein the fluid is a water based mixture containing a scented fragrance.
 5. The garment enhancing device of claim 2, further comprising one or more control valves structured and configured to be in fluid communication with the reservoir and one or more cartridges when the cartridges are inserted into the one or more openings to control the delivery of supply fluid to the reservoir.
 6. The garment enhancing device of claim 1, wherein the garment enhancing device is structured and configured to be mounted to dry wall studs.
 7. The garment enhancing device of claim 1, wherein the steamer element is structured and configured to heat the fluid to produce super heated steam.
 8. The garment enhancing device of claim 7, wherein the heat is supplied from energy from rechargeable batteries.
 9. The garment enhancing device of claim 1, wherein steam enters the chamber at the base of the chamber through vents.
 10. The garment enhancing device of claim 1, further comprising a heater element in addition to the steamer element, wherein the heater element is structured and configured to heat the garment chamber directly.
 11. A garment device comprising a chamber having a sealing mechanism and structured and configured to suspend garments, one or more openings for receiving corresponding cartridges, each opening having a port structured and configured to open the cartridge and to be in fluid communication with the cartridge a user interface for controlling at least a cycle time a steamer element structured and configured to produce a heat level directed to a reservoir containing a fluid to create steam a water pump structured and configured to be in fluid communication with the one or more ports and the reservoir to draw fluid from the cartridges into the reservoir and a notification item configured to activate at the completion of the cycle time.
 12. The garment device of claim 11, wherein the notification item is comprised of a buzzer.
 13. The garment device of claim 11, wherein the interface controls one or more valves in fluid communication with the one or more ports and the reservoir, and wherein the valves are configured to be between the ports and the reservoir.
 14. The garment device of claim 11, wherein the interface controls the heat level produced by the steamer element.
 15. The garment device of claim 11, wherein the steamer element is powered by a rechargeable battery.
 16. The garment device of claim 11, wherein the reservoir is structured and configured to be sealed.
 17. The garment device of claim 11, wherein the fluid always contains an additive along with water, wherein the additive is a scent enhancer.
 18. A method of steaming an article comprising the steps of configuring a reservoir so that it is only in fluid communication with a first pod, a pump, and a chamber vacuum pumping a fluid containing a fragrance from the first pod to a reservoir configuring the reservoir so that it is not in fluid communication with the first pod and is in fluid communication with a chamber that is structured to suspend the article heating the reservoir by activating a steamer element to create steam from the fluid such that the steam contains the fragrance heating the chamber by activating a heating element configured to heat the garment after the steamer element has been inactivated inactivating the heating elements producing a notification.
 19. The method of claim 18, comprising the additional step of configuring the reservoir so that it is only in fluid communication with a second pod and one pump.
 20. The method of claim 18, wherein the steps occur in sequence as listed. 